New York, New York,February 2, 2015 – New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival is pleased to announce that actress, comedian, writer, and Festival attendee Rachel Dratch will host their annual Not For Kids Film Festival Benefit + Auction on Thursday, February 5 at Tribeca Cinemas. The centerpiece of the annual, no-kids-allowed fundraiser is a program of short films. The program consists of films that were submitted to the Festival that may not be appropriate for young Festival audiences, but are too fun, funny, or brilliant not to show. The screening will be followed by both a live and silent auction.

While tickets to the event are sold out, the auction will be open to the public through February 5 at 9:30pm at www.501auctions.com/nyicff. All proceeds from the auction support New York International Children’s Film Festival and its Film-Ed Programs, which provide high quality arts experiences to young people and families with limited resources. The Not For Kids Film Festival Benefit + Auction serves as the official kick-off to the 2015 Festival season, which continues onFebruary 27 with Opening Night of the 18th annual New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival.

ABOUT NEW YORK INT’L CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL

Established in 1997, New York Int'l Children's Film Festival is an Oscar® qualifying event and North America's largest film festival for children and teens ages 3-18. The most recent edition attracted a sold-out-in-advance audience of 30,000. The 2015 event takes place February 27-March 22, with 100+ films from around the world, premieres, retrospectives, filmmaker Q&As, filmmaking workshops, audience voting, and a Closing Night Celebration. Festival sponsors include The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®, The New York Times, Variety, WNYC, and Scholastic, with funding support by National Endowment for the Arts, NY State Council on the Arts, and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. In addition to the annual event, the Festival presents year-round film programming both in New York and nationally, including annual children's film festivals in Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia.